Making and Playing Pick-Up-Sticks
By Brenda Hyde
People of all ages around the world have been playing some version
of Pick-up Sticks for centuries. In China they were made of ivory and
the ends of the "sticks" had elaborate carvings. Different versions of
the game were played in many countries-each with their own unique
twist. In the United States and Canada we usually played a basic
game of Pick-up Sticks that consisted of 25-30 colored sticks. You
can make your own by buying a bag of wooden skewers and clipping
off the sharp end. Using a piece of coarse sandpaper sand this end
until it's fairly smooth. At this point you can paint the entire stick or
just an inch or so on each end so the color is obvious. You'll want to
paint the sticks in the colors and amounts below. I've listed the point
value of each color afterwards.
1 Black -25 points
7 Red -10 points
7 Blue -5 points
8 Green -2 points
7 Yellow 1-points
You can also buy wooden dowels that are 1/4 inch to a 1/2
inch thick and make a large set for playing in the yard. These
sell for $25.00 and up in the stores. For that same amount
you can make a couple of sets and give one as a gift! For
the large sticks it would be good to primer the wood first,
paint and then put on a coat of two of polyurethane for
protection.
After making your set of Pick-up Sticks or buying them you'll
need to know the rules.
First, stand the sticks upright holding them all vertically with
your hand in a group. Let go gently and allow them to drop
where they may. Each player's goal is to pick up as many
sticks as they can without making the other sticks move. There were
two methods used-one included the black stick in the group
and it was worth the most points. But sometimes the game
rules instructed players to use the black stick as a "tool" to
move the sticks. Personally I think it's more fun to just use
your fingers to pick-up and include the black stick for points.
The winner will be the one who can total 200 points. The first
player to go (roll dice or use some other method for choosing
the first player) picks up one stick at a time until another stick
is moved when he attempts to pick one up. Then it goes to the
next player and so on until someone reaches 200 points. You
can use your own total if you wish. Some versions used 500.
I really like old fashioned games like this that don't use any
technology to play. It really gets the family interacting away
from the television and computer. It helps us teach good
sportsmanship to the kids, and everyone ends up laughing
harder than they would during a movie!
About the Author
Brenda Hyde is a Mom of three, a freelance writer and editor
of Old Fashioned Living. For more family ideas and recipes subscribe
to one of our free newsletters; descriptions here.
